BRILLION - Courtney Hackbarth has been one of the top pitchers in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference for the past few years. She has a 10-2 record with a 1.24 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 79 innings this season.

Hackbarth, who was 20-3 last season, took time recently to answer a few questions with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin's Ricardo Arguello.

Who inspires you most?

I think that women in general are the most inspiring for me, whether it is the Olympic athlete Aly Raisman or the protester Coretta Scott King. Women who stand up for what they believe in always have confidence in themselves and powerful perseverance, which I admire immensely.

What is your dream vacation destination?

My dream vacation destination would have to be Berlin, Germany. I’d love to learn the language and then spend a month or so living in the city, exploring the different neighborhoods and venturing out to other big cities.

Who's the toughest opponent you ever faced?

The toughest opponent I have ever faced was an 18U team from Fond du Lac during my summer club season. We were a 17U team (high school senior and juniors) facing college freshmen. Their team was very precise and rarely errored, so beating them was very rewarding.

What's your No. 1 pet peeve?

My number one pet peeve is slow walkers, especially in between classes at school.

What do you want to do for a living?

My first possible life track would be to get a doctorate in chemical engineering, work in the field for a while, and then try to become a professor. My second option would be to go to law school after getting my engineering degree, and then work toward being a judge or law professor.

Why are sports important to you?

Sports are important to me because of all the life lessons I have learned from playing difficult games and suffering injuries. Through sports, I’ve learned the importance of perseverance and believing in yourself.

What's your strength as a person?

I think that my main strength is being stubborn. Whether it’s pushing through hours of homework, getting through a tough inning, or arguing about something, I am always determined to get it finished my way.

What do you feel like you still need to work on?

I feel that something I could work on would be understanding others’ reasons for doing things. I tend to be very logical, so it can be hard to understand why someone wouldn’t try something or wouldn’t work as hard.

Do you have any pregame rituals?

Before every game I try to remember that the game does not fall on one single mistake.

Who's your favorite person to follow on Twitter?

Chrissy Teigen is, hands down, my favorite.

What's your nickname?

Some people call me “Court” or “Christmas” because my softball number is 25.

All-time team sports achievement?

My junior year of high school our team won conference champs for the first time in school history.

All-time individual achievement?

Being selected for the D3 All-Stars Game this year.

No. 1 athletic goal?

To always be improving myself.

Thoughts on Brillion softball?

I think that we have a very tight-knit team because we’ve been playing together since elementary school. All but two starters are seniors, so we work together very well.

You could be any celebrity on earth for a week. Who would it be?

If I could be any celebrity, I would be Emma Watson. I’ve loved her since I was a young girl because of Harry Potter, and I’d love to experience her work with women’s rights.

If you could listen to just one song before the biggest sporting event of your life to get pumped up, what would it be?

"Don’t Stop Me Now" by Queen is the ultimate pump-up song.

If you could meet one celebrity who is a non-athlete, who would it be?

I would meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg because I would love to sit and listen to all of her stories about the Supreme Court and her work for women’s rights. Her life has been full of amazing achievements, so any life advice from her would be beyond useful.

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Brillion High School's Carmen Yost celebrates with Courtney Hackbarth after their 3-1 over Chilton High School Thursday, May 10, 2018, in Brillion, Wis.
Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Favorites

Sport: Softball.

Pro/college athlete: Meghan Beaubien.

Pro/college team: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Favorite musical artist or group: The Arctic Monkeys.

Favorite song of all time: This is extremely hard for me to pick, but I’ll go with the classic "Killer Queen" by Queen.

TV show: "Parks and Recreation."

Movie: "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

Class: Physics.

Food: Sushi.

Hobby: Hiking.

Saying or piece of advice: "You win some, you lose some."

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Brillion High School's Courtney Hackbarth connects with the ball during their game against Chilton High School Thursday, May 10, 2018, in Brillion, Wis.
Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)